The Vietnam War - Final Exam Key Terms Flashcards - Updated Apr 23

"Peace with honor"

Richard Nixon's guiding slogan for ending U.S. involvement in Vietnam, first used during the 1968 presidential campaign. It promised an agreement that (1) removed U.S. ground forces, (2) returned all American POWs, and (3) preserved an independent, non‑communist South Vietnam—i.e., disengagement without admitting defeat. In practice, the January 27th, 1973 Paris Agreement fulfilled the first two aims, while the third collapsed in April 1975.

Paris Peace talks

Official negotiations began in Paris in May 1968 between the US, the DRV, the RVN, and the PRG.

Public plenaries (202 sessions) were accompanied by secret Kissinger-Lê Đức Thọ meetings from February 1970 onward, where real progress occurred. Stalemate over mutual troop withdrawal and the future of South Vietnam's President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu delayed the agreement until the accord's signing on January 27th, 1973.

The agreement detailed (1) removal of U.S. ground forces, (2) return of all American POWs, and (3) preservation of an independent, non‑communist South Vietnam—i.e., disengagement without admitting defeat. In practice, the Paris Agreement fulfilled the first two aims, while the third collapsed in April 1975.

Secret Bilateral Talks

Beginning August 1969 in the Paris suburbs, U.S. National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger and North Vietnam's Chief Negotiator Lê Đức Thọ held covert face-to-face meetings, continuing intermittently until the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on 27 January 1973. These private sessions built mutual understanding on U.S. troop-withdrawal timetables, prisoner-of-war reinstatement, and the political future of South Vietnam's President Thiệu, broke the deadlock in public negotiations, enabled Nixon's October 1972 "peace is at hand" announcement, and ultimately paved the way for the cease-fire agreement.

Henry Kissinger

National Security Adviser and Secretary of State in the 70s. Architect with Nixon of Vietnamization, the Madman strategy, secret Cambodia/Laos bombings, détente, and the Paris accords, for which he shared the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize with North Vietnam's Chief Negotiator Lê Đức Thọ (who declined the prize). Despite their close collaboration, Kissinger and Nixon frequently clashed over the timing and scope of covert operations—Kissinger often seeking to temper Nixon's more impulsive "madman" escalations in Cambodia and Laos to preserve diplomatic cover.

"Madman" Strategy

Nixon and Kissinger's 1969 gamble to frighten Hanoi (and Moscow) into concessions by convincing them the President might escalate unpredictably—even to nuclear force, based on Nixon's being a cold warrior. It underpinned the secret B‑52 campaign "Operation MENU" (Mar 1969 - May 1970) and the threatened but cancelled "Duck Hook" bombing/mining plan (Sept‑Oct 1969). The approach relied on secrecy, bluff, and global great‑power pressure.

Talking while fighting

Post‑Tet slogan contained in COSVN Resolution 9 (June 1969): the Lê Duan strategy that Hanoi should negotiate publicly (to satisfy allies and world opinion) while continuing military pressure in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It produced simultaneous Paris negotiating offensives and ground campaigns such as the 1972 Easter Offensive. In essence, it sought to use battlefield advances to bolster Hanoi's diplomatic leverage while maintaining the appearance of sincere peace efforts.

Operation MENU

Codename for secret B‑52 carpet‑bombing of suspected PAVN sanctuaries in eastern Cambodia, March 1969 - May 1970 ("BREAKFAST," "LUNCH," etc.). Approved by Nixon as part of the Madman ploy; disclosure in the New York Times in May 1969 led to illegal White House wiretaps to find the leaker. Escalated war regionally; hidden from public and Congress, fueling backlash and distrust.

Kent State shooting

May 4, 1970, Kent State University, Ohio. During campus protests against the Cambodian campaign—a secretly planned cross‑border operation and major escalation of the war ordered by President Nixon—Ohio National Guard troops fired 67 rounds in 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine. The event sparked a nationwide student strike involving approximately 4 million students on 450 campuses.

Hard Hat Riot

8 May 1970, New York City. Thousands of construction workers, angered by campus anti‑war strikes after the U.S.-ARVN Cambodian incursion and the Kent State shootings (4 May 1970), attacked demonstrators near Wall Street, injuring many of them. The clash epitomised Nixon's "Silent Majority" versus anti‑war youth, and Nixon even wrote to the head of the Contractors' Union to commend the workers for their actions.

George McGovern

Liberal Democratic senator from South Dakota; co‑author (with Republican Mark Hatfield) of the McGovern‑Hatfield Amendment (Sept 1970) calling for all U.S. troops out of Indochina by the end of 1971. He became the anti‑war presidential candidate in 1972, framing the election as a referendum on continued U.S. involvement. McGovern eventually lost to Nixon in the 1972 elections.

John Kerry

Former U.S. Navy Swift‑boat officer who, as spokesperson for Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), delivered a powerful Senate testimony on April 22 1971, asking "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" In that testimony, he recounted numerous atrocities committed by U.S. troops—an account some critics said overstated their prevalence—and faced pushback for implying such acts were widespread.

Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW)

Founded in June 1967 (prominent in the 70s) by returning GIs; membership surged post‑Tet. Organized the Winter Soldier Investigation (Feb 1971, Detroit) documenting U.S. atrocities, and the April 23, 1971, Dewey Canyon III encampment where vets discarded medals on the Capitol steps, pressuring Congress and undercutting Nixon's claims of veteran support. Their high‑profile protests unnerved the Nixon administration and helped fuel Congressional moves—such as the Cooper-Church and McGovern-Hatfield amendments, to cut war funding and accelerate U.S. withdrawal.

Winter Soldier Investigation

Public inquiry sponsored by VVAW, 31 Jan - 2 Feb 1971, in Detroit; 109 veterans and 16 civilians testified to widespread atrocities (My Lai-type incidents, free-fire zones, use of napalm). Named after Tom Paine's "winter soldiers," it challenged claims that abuses were isolated, fueling Congressional pressure. Drew attention to the moral and legal issues of the war; damaged public support for military leadership.

Ping Pong Diplomacy

9-17 April 1971 visit of the U.S. table‑tennis team to the People's Republic of China, orchestrated by Beijing and Washington to signal détente after the Sino‑Soviet border clashes of March 1969. It paved the way for Kissinger's secret Beijing trip (9-11 July 1971) and Nixon's historic February 1972 summit, altering Cold War dynamics and impacting Vietnam negotiations.

Khmer Rouge

The Communist Party of Kampuchea led by Saloth Sar ("Pol Pot") that, after Prince Sihanouk's overthrow on 18 March 1970 by General Lon Nol, allied with Sihanouk's forces and North Vietnam and swelled its ranks during the U.S. menu bombings in Cambodia. It seized Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975, overthrew Lon Nol's government, and ruled until January 1979. During its roughly four-year rule, the regime imposed a radical agrarian social order and carried out mass genocide, killing an estimated 1.5-2 million people. Their rise was linked to U.S. bombing and destabilization.

Linebacker I

Conventional and B‑52 air campaign against North Vietnam, 10 May - 23 October 1972, launched in response to the Easter (Nguyen Hue) Offensive. Mining of Haiphong harbour (8 May) and sustained strikes disrupted DRV supply lines, buying time for RVN defense before the Paris draft in October. Helped slow Easter Offensive and improve South Vietnamese morale.

Christmas bombings\Linebacker II

U.S. Air Force B‑52/CVN aerial offensive, 18-29 December 1972, over Hanoi-Haiphong. Aimed to compel Hanoi (and reassure Saigon) to sign the draft Paris accords after talks stalled in November. Eleven days, 729 sorties, approximately 20,000 tons of bombs; talks resumed 8 January 1973 and the Paris Peace agreement signed 27 January 1973. Intended to pressure Hanoi into accepting peace terms; controversial but succeeded in prompting return to Paris negotiations.

Norodom Sihanouk

Prince‑ruler (1953-70) of neutral Cambodia; balanced between Beijing, Washington, and Hanoi. Deposed in a National Assembly vote led by Lon Nol on March 1970 while abroad; subsequently formed a Beijing‑based Government‑in‑Exile allied with the Khmer Rouge. His removal destabilized Cambodia, led to increased Vietnamese involvement, and helped the Khmer Rouge rise.

Lon Nol

Cambodian Defense Minister and ardent anti‑communist; orchestrated the March 1970 coup, declared the Khmer Republic, and invited U.S. support against Vietnamese forces. His presidency (1972-75) was marked by corruption and military decline, ending with his exile just before Phnom Penh fell in April 1975. Aligned Cambodia with the U.S. but couldn't stop the Khmer Rouge; a symbol of failed U.S. regional interventions.

People's Diplomacy

PRG/DRV tactic—especially after 1969—of deploying women, youth, and cultural figures abroad to court Western public opinion and anti‑war groups. Exemplified by PRG Foreign Minister Nguyễn Thị Bình's 10‑Point Plan (8 May 1969) and her meetings with U.S. activists like Cora Weiss. Undermined the U.S. narrative, used media, and international contacts to gain sympathy and support for their cause.

Nguyen Thi Binh

Vice‑foreign minister of the NLF/PRG; only woman plenary delegate at the expanded Paris talks (1969 - 1973). Presented the 10‑Point Peace Plan (8 May 1969) demanding total U.S. withdrawal and Thiệu's removal. Symbol of People's Diplomacy and Vietnamese women's role in the revolutionary struggle.

"Boat People"

Term for approximately 800,000 Vietnamese (1975-95) who fled the reunified Socialist Republic of Vietnam in small boats to escape political re‑education, economic hardship, and war's aftermath—one of the largest refugee crises in Southeast Asian history. Some boats sank, and with them many fleeing South Vietnamese died.

Nixon Doctrine

Proclaimed on 25 July 1969 (Guam). Stated that the U.S. would honor treaty commitments but henceforth expect Asian allies to bear primary responsibility for their defense, with America supplying arms and air/naval support—not ground troops. Vietnamization was its first application. Justified Vietnamization; reduced direct U.S. military involvement abroad.

Vietnamization

Announced at Midway meeting, 8 June 1969; cornerstone of the Nixon Doctrine. Aimed to replace U.S. combat troops with an expanded, American‑equipped ARVN while maintaining U.S. air‑power and advisory roles. Troop levels fell from 543,000 (April 1969) to zero ground battalions by 29 March 1973. Aimed to reduce American casualties; exposed weaknesses in ARVN; failed to prevent collapse in 1975.

Deep Throat

Pseudonym of FBI Associate Director Mark Felt, secret source for Washington Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein in DC. His leaks (starting June 1972) on the Watergate break‑in exposed the cover‑up, weakened Nixon's ability to enforce the Paris Agreement, and hastened the 1974 congressional aid cuts to Saigon. Helped expose Watergate, undermining Nixon's presidency during the war's end.

March 31st Speech

Televised address by President Lyndon B. Johnson, 31 March 1968, announcing a partial halt to bombing north of the 20th parallel, a call for peace talks, and—dramatically—that he would not seek re‑election. It opened the way for the initial U.S.-DRV Paris contacts in May. Turning point in public opinion and U.S. policy; signaled war was not winnable on U.S. terms.

Lam Son 719

ARVN invasion of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, 8 Feb - 25 Mar 1971. Designed to cut logistics and prove Vietnamization. 17,000 ARVN faced 60,000 PAVN; heavy casualties (7,683 KIA) and chaotic helicopter evacuation exposed RVN weaknesses and emboldened Hanoi. Tested Vietnamization; ended in failure, exposed ARVN weaknesses.

Nick Ut

Vietnamese-American Associated Press photographer, whose 8 June 1972 image of a nine‑year‑old girl, Phan Thị Kim Phúc, fleeing a napalm strike near Trảng Bàng crystallized global outrage, won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize, and intensified pressure to curtail U.S. air operations. The iconic "Napalm Girl" photo influenced public opinion against the war.

Sino-Soviet border clashes

Armed confrontations at Zhenbao/Damansky Island on the Ussuri River, 2 March and 15 March 1969, escalating the Beijing‑Moscow split. Kissinger used the rift to pressure Hanoi by courting China (Ping‑pong diplomacy and July 1971 secret visit) and the USSR (May 1972 summit). Prompted Nixon to exploit split via détente and China rapprochement, deepened Sino-Soviet split, affected North Vietnam's relations with both powers.

John Paul Vann

Charismatic former Army lieutenant‑colonel turned USAID/CORDS field adviser; outspoken critic of U.S. strategy in his 1962-73 service. Died in a helicopter crash in June 1972, aged 47, during the VC assault on Kontum. Embodied disillusionment with U.S. strategy; emphasized the need for reform in pacification. Critic of U.S. strategy; became a symbol of American involvement and its limits.

Duck Hook

Proposed massive escalation—mining Haiphong, bombing dikes, possible nuclear alert—pushed by Kissinger and Joint Chiefs in Sept‑Oct 1969 if Hanoi refused terms by 1 Nov 1969. Shelved after the Moratorium protests and dissent within the cabinet, but informed future coercive options. Its rejection marked Nixon's shift toward diplomacy; shows tensions between military solutions and political limits.

Bao Ninh

Pen‑name of North Vietnamese veteran Hoàng Ấu Phương (born 1952). Served with the Glorious 27th Youth Brigade; one of ten survivors of 500. His 1991 novel The Sorrow of War (drawn on in the course film clips) offered a candid DRV soldier's perspective, challenging state heroic narratives. Humanized Vietnamese experience; challenged heroic war narratives; part of postwar memory debates.